What's your "over the holidays" project?

[KC4VWU]

Aside from the continuous cleanup, there is a new addition here that I will be doing some pre-cleanup and assessment on... HRO-M with SPC speaker/coil storage unit and 697 power supply.

[KD6VXI]

Finishing a 3cx3000 project for a friend and then starting my 8877 I think.

Or rebuilding the sb220 or FL2100B.

In any case,  my friends 3000 is completed.   Waiting on myself to gather up the cajones to flip the 70 amp breaker on the primary of a Dahl powered 12KVA CCS supply.

Have to wait until the dryer is done.   Clean underwear will be on hand then.   At that point,  I'll be ready ☺️

--Shane
KD6VXI

[Opcom]

Nice 12KVA transformer in that power supply - just fire it up! It would be nice to see more of the amp - the RF deck for example. What bands does it cover?

[KB2WIG]

The same project as the over-the 4th-of-July holiday project.

Tile the bathroom floor and put the turlet back in.


klc

[Opcom]

These holidays and the holydays to come - continue on the amp project and with Jacob's tesla coil.

[KD6VXI]

I'll snap some more today.

It's a 40 meter amp. It was going to be an 80 meter amp but the owner found a deal on a Bauer broadcast in the meantime.

It came up fine,  6kv DC.   For some reason,  after about a minute,  the Homebrew power supply that powers just the two relays (one a contactor for TX / rx and the other for cathode key / bias diode string) blew the transformer.   Thinking it was because I had undersized it,  I put a bigger xformer in.   Worked for about 2 minutes and then it went south.

Odd failure.   Works fine on the bench (ie,  no hv)..

--Shane
KD6VXI

[kb3ouk]

Try to get the 814 rig finished, like I've been doing for the last year now.

[WO4K]

A bit of my next 30 days will be spent designing the radio room and antenna system for the new (to us) house. We are remodeling a 1970 vintage typical 3/2 Flawda house near downtown Dunedin (no HOA!) for our "retirement home", and since we're taking it down to the 2x4's, it may take a while to get to construction of the radio room.  Probably off the air until late winter! Since my bride is N4YAK, I'm tempted to call it the Yak Shack. (Obviously I'll do anything for points.) Currently I'm adding larger central air ducts and an a.c. air return to the room for cooling those toobs in the Florida summer, especially since one of the transmitters may be an RCA BTA-1MX converted to 160m. Also figuring out how to do a reasonably effective 160m antenna on a small (100 x 60) urban house lot where the house and pool foundation take up most of the lot. Read as: there's no room for radials. Right now I'm leaning toward an inverted V folded dipole and tuner for 160 through 40. I will have a 40' crank-up, fold-over tower for my hex beam, 20 through 6m. Thoughts and advice on a somewhat effective 160m antenna in this confined space are welcomed!

[ka1tdq]

A 40 meter mobile antenna.

This has a stainless steel base that mounts 4 large magnets.  A heavy duty ball will sit beneath the base loading coil, and an 8' CB whip will be on top.  This will mount directly on top of the Rav4.

I don't know if it'll rival the "dog log", but the ladies are sure to notice me as I drive down the road with my windows down, blasting a Taylor Swift track.

Jon

[WBear2GCR]

Very exciting, and nothing in particular to do with the holiday... I bought a hammer drill and ran some 1/4" holes into concrete block to hold
anchors and hang standards that take brackets, that hold up pine boards, aka shelves - in the shop/lab. Got it all up, and need to put the
shelves in tomorrow and "populate" them. At which point I think that as if by magic I shall be able to walk around in there, and also see the
tops of benches!!

Then who knows what might happen next!!   

[WU2D]

Well after having a dark shack since May, it was time to get WU2D back up and running. I completed a nice computer desk unfinished furniture project over Thanksgiving.

I fired up the ART-13 and it still works - no surprise problems with lack of use...

I kicked off the holiday season with the Bruce Kelly 1929 CW contest last weekend. I made a few contacts on 80M with a pip squeek UX-201A oscillator doing a solid 1.5 Watts out into a new antler - a full sized 80M vertical loop fed with a 4:1 balun and buried coax. I also fired up the 40M beast a type 27 Hartley driving a Neutralized 45 final at almost 6 Watts out.

Just got back from a work trip to Prague and even got out 50 km to visit an abandoned Soviet Air Base and Ghost Town - vy cool.

73's Mike

[kc4umo]

Nice projects guys.
Two projects that I have planned is:
1- try and get a few more videos on YouTube on the Yaesu FT-101 repair series. Next two videos on receiver troubleshooting.
2- Looking to design a new display using off the shelf parts for the Realistic HTX-100.

[W9ZSL]

Survival.  Merry Christmas!

[steve_qix]

Try to get a 1kw GaN MOSFET transmitter up and running on 75/160 meters 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Try to clean off the top of the operating tables so I can see the equipment. If I have time, I might arrange/collect  all my jumper test cables and plug/jack adapters. I tired of buying these at hamfests only to find out when I get home (after some period of time), I already had a supply of them. Then there's the ongoing equipment repair which never really seems to end.

[KB5MD]

Finish the blanket chest being made from white ash that was logged by my Dad before I was born and I'm 72.  The wood is so hard it will hardly cut on the table saw. 

[W6TOM]

  I bought a Super Senior 80/40 meter last summer used with the D-104 audio board, mounted the unit in a 4 foot rack on wheels that I have. Began to modify a D-104 base that the audio board will be installed in, hope to test this weekend. I have some connectors, 4 and 8 pin microphone, on order, hope they will get here soon but with the Christmas mail it may be a bit longer.

[WZ1M]

Finish up or should I say, troubleshoot the 4X4, 813's amp. Finish up the modulator running a pair of 813's.
Inventory some stock, clean the shop furnace and take a few naps.
Regards,
Gary

[N5DMC]

Good day fellow hAM'ers,

After selling off some of my prized RCA 1943 6L6G collection, my Christmas present (and project) is to revive a Johnson Viking Valiant II white face with a HRO 50 then putting both of these back into service. Both look impressive, restored from R.L. Howard himself WC5E. I was lucky enough to receive beauties from him. The Valiant took some work, but it's looking good so far - (I think) The TX/RX relay is yet to be proven but it works so far, time will tell! 

The picture shows my shack partner, the better end at that. This is my first post here on AMfone. Long awaited I might add.

Doug
N5DMC

[AJ1G]

Getting the E. H. Scott SLRM receiver on the bench to make it great again and operating with my (replacement of the original) DX-40 for SKN and the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of my first going on the air on January 4th, 1967 as WN2ZPS with that equipment setup! 

Glenn, NY4NC , if you are still lurking around this forum, what ever happened to my original DX-40 that ended up being your first transmitter as well?`

[k3msb]

Get the T-19 & T-22 up and running and get a T/R relay set up with the BC-348Q for SKN.    The 348Q will have the dynamotor installed.

Try not to eat the humongous supply for Christmas goodies my wife made (I plan to fail at that by the way……..).   Naps, breakfast with friends etc…..

[WU2D]

Awesome Mark - I hope to work you with a similar setup. Mike WU2D

[AJ1G]

Getting the E. H. Scott SLRM receiver on the bench to make it great again and operating with my (replacement of the original) DX-40 for SKN and the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of my first going on the air on January 4th, 1967 as WN2ZPS with that equipment setup!  `

Got the SLRM working  again , better than I ever remember it.  Had to replace a couple of filter caps and some resistors in the quirky AC/DC  ungrounded neutral power supply, also removed a homebrew product detector that i had put in when I was in college, which never worked all that well. The reason I put it in back then was because of the weak BFO injection that Scott put in by design, possibly to meet the incidental RF radiation requirements for these sets.  The BFO operates by stray coupling, no direct coupling to the IF or detector stages at all.  In the past I used a gimmick cap of twisted wire  between the BFO tube cathode and the grid of the last IF stage.  This time around I am loosely coupling the output of a Rockland Industries Model 5100 frequency synthesizer, set at the IF frequency to the IF stage.   The adjustable output of the synthesizer makes for more than enough injection, and it can be adjusted so as not to swamp the AVC, can use the AVC with it and it sounds really good even on high level signals.  Essentially crush proof by strong sideband or CW sigs.  The audio on the SLRM on all modes, especially AM is great.  The DX-40 has always worked well, am driving the fixed gain audio input with a Rat Shack EQ and dynamic mic.  Been having fun on 80 CW and on 3705 AM the last few days with the these old friends.

[KB2WIG]

M,

 The OD colored sweater works fer the mil sets.......

klc

[W6TOM]

  Got my Super Senior 8040 working last week, had some issues getting the modulation correct so it didn't trip, looks like that is all sorted out. I built a D-104 out of parts on hand and installed the K7DYY audio board, I'm getting good audio reports.

   I need to fix my T-368, the plate relay is bad and that 300 lb power supply has to be moved, need help with that.